Medical Lake City Council Position 1
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Olive oil and vinegar are not just for bread and salads.
Ask the doctors: Urine culture necessary to identify bacteria causing UTI
Dear Doctors: I have had a UTI several times and know the symptoms. This last time, when I went to urgent care, they said they needed a urine culture before they could treat me. It was another day of being uncomfortable before getting the meds I needed. Do you know why that was done?
Ask the doctors: Pain in knee suggests mild MCL injury
Dear Doctors: I was on the couch with my right leg on an ottoman when our black Lab rammed into the inside of my knee. The next day, it really hurt to extend or turn my knee. (Not painful to the touch, though, which seemed weird.) It felt better in a week, but I want to know what got hurt.
Ask the doctors: Volunteering can improve cognitive health
Dear Doctors: I started helping at a food bank for a kind of selfish reason – it made me feel good. But it turns out I made some good friends, which is not easy as you get older. (I’m 66.) Now I’m seeing on the news that volunteering can be good for cognitive health. I would like to know more about that.
Ask the doctors: Exercise intolerance one of th esymptoms of long COVID
Dear Doctors: I’ve been an endurance athlete my whole adult life. After having COVID-19, I’ve gone from running marathons at an 8-minute mile pace to needing walking breaks whenever I run. Are there studies about long COVID and endurance? How I can join one?
Ask the doctors: Dry mouth more common in older adults
Dear Doctors: I’ve noticed as I’m getting older – I just turned 63 – that I have more episodes of dry mouth. I’m told this isn’t unusual for older people. Why would that be? Chewing gum helps, but I don’t enjoy it. Are there things I should eat or avoid that can help this go away?
Ask the doctors: Instrumented mouthgard indicates dangerous hits
Dear Doctors: I just read about these electronic mouthguards that can show if someone has a concussion during contact sports games. Apparently, if you get hit really hard, they will flash and let the coaches know that you need to get out of the game. This seems like a great idea. What took so long?
Ask the doctors: Walking after a meal helps keep blood sugar in check
Dear Doctors: My husband has prediabetes. I read that going for a walk after you eat can help your blood sugar, so I always do that. But my husband says when you sit down again, your blood sugar goes right back up, so what’s the point? Is that true? I’m not giving up on him joining me.
Ask the doctors: Flesh-eating vibrio infection comes from brackish water
Dear Doctors: We live in Florida, and we keep seeing on the news about people dying from flesh-eating bacteria you can get when you go swimming. It seems like it’s happening a lot more often than it used to. Why is it so hard to be cured when someone gets sick?
Ask the doctors: Readers respond
Hello, dear readers! Welcome to a bonus letters column. We have some interesting (and familiar) topics to cover, so we’ll dive right in.
Ask the doctors: Readers respond
Hello, dear readers! Welcome to the monthly letters column. We have some interesting and important ground to cover, so we’ll dive right in.
Ask the doctors: Floaters in the eye are a normal part of aging
Dear Doctors: Several months ago, my right eye began to be bothered by “little critters” flying through the air; when I tried to brush them away, nothing existed. I mentioned this to several people and was informed it is a case of floaters. Please explain this condition and what can be done.
Ask the doctors: GERD, sinus infections and ear fullness can all be related
Dear Doctors: My nose has been plugged up for a few weeks from a sinus infection. Now my left ear is feeling full, and sounds are muffled. Can that be related? My dad says yes. (He has GERD; he says it has affected his hearing.) GERD is so different from a sinus infection that I don’t get it.
Ask the doctors: School lunches should be healthy, fun
Dear Doctors: We have three kids in school, and they’re not always happy with the lunches I’ve been packing. Our 7-year-old is the easiest – he loves his PB&J. But his 9- and 13-year-old brothers are a lot harder. You have mentioned you are parents. How do you deal with school lunch?
Dear Annie: Protecting what’s private
Dear Annie: My husband and I have a large family, and earlier this year we welcomed our newest baby, “Izzy.” The pregnancy went smoothly, but about half a week after coming home, she began showing concerning symptoms. We’ve been working closely with her doctor ever since and recently learned she has a rare genetic condition. It’s incurable, causes severe symptoms and is usually fatal in childhood.
Ask the doctors: Up to 90%of adults play host to mites
Dear Doctors: I am a 29-year-old woman, and I am concerned that I might have mites in my areola. I found one when I tried to squeeze what I thought was a whitehead and saw a demodex mite come out. My primary doctor did not believe me. What can I do?
Dear Annie: Learning to say ‘I’ve got this’ at work and ‘No, thank you,’ at home
Dear Annie: I recently started a new job at a software company, and for the most part, I really like it. The work is interesting, my co-workers are friendly, and the company culture is a good fit for me. The only issue is my manager. She has a habit of micromanaging just about everything I do. She insists on reviewing emails before I send them, stands behind me while I’m working, and often corrects me on tasks I’ve already been trained on and feel confident doing.
Ask the doctors: Bipolar disorder may have connections to gut-brain axis
Dear Doctors: My 22-year-old son is severely bipolar, which impacts his life terribly. I have kept up with the studies that have shown success in treating bipolar with a fecal transplant. Do you know of any open studies right now that might take my son? We would travel anywhere to get it done.
Dear Annie: Fractured bonds
Dear Annie: My husband and I recently went on an eight-day cruise to Iceland with two close friends. We have been friends for more than 40 years and have traveled together many times. Two days before we were to leave, I tested positive for Covid. I went to urgent care, and the doctor told me I could still go on the trip. I began Paxlovid and wore a mask for the first five days of the cruise.
Dear Annie: Fault-finding friends
Dear Annie: My spouse and I have longtime friends who visit from out of town several times a year. We’ve kept up this tradition for many years, and in return we also visit them. At first, these visits were enjoyable, but lately they’ve become a source of stress.